1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a biopsy needle for obtaining tissue samples. Embodiments of the invention relate to a biopsy needle for obtaining samples from within a patient through an endoscope or other instrument.
2. Description of Related Art
A biopsy procedure may be performed to determine if suspect cells are diseased or cancerous. The biopsy procedure may involve obtaining a tissue sample and/or body fluids from a patient. Tests performed on the tissue sample and/or body fluids may provide information for diagnosis of the patient's condition.
A biopsy sample may be obtained by invasive surgical procedures. For example, an incision may be made in a patient, a path to suspect cells may be formed by retraction and/or removal of tissue and a sample of suspect cells and/or biological material may be obtained. Less invasive procedures for obtaining biopsy samples may be used to obtain some biopsy samples. For example, a percutaneous biopsy may be performed using a needle-like instrument to collect a biopsy sample. To collect the biopsy sample using a percutaneous biopsy needle, a sharp portion of the biopsy needle may be used to puncture tissue to be sampled. The tissue sample may be collected in a hollow portion of the percutaneous biopsy needle.
Areas of a patient may be difficult to sample using an invasive surgical procedure or a percutaneous biopsy needle. To sample the areas, a biopsy needle may be guided to tissue to be sampled through an instrument positioned in a patient. The instrument may be, but is not limited to, an endoscope, conduit and/or medical device insertion instrument. The biopsy needle may be reciprocated in the instrument so that a stylet of the biopsy needle repeatedly enters into the tissue to be sampled. A biopsy sample may be obtained in a hollow portion of the stylet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,937 to Wang, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, describes a transendoscopic needle. The transendoscopic needle has an outer flexible catheter and a reciprocating interior structure on which the needle is mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,110 to Wang, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, describes a pleural biopsy syringe-needle. The pleural biopsy syringe-needle has two hollow inner and second guides whose proximal ends are directly attached to the barrel of a syringe. The syringe functions to reduce the probability of effecting pneumothorax in a patient during a pleural biopsy procedure.